Program 2021
Films are not rated and are all subtitled in English. Films do not reflect views or opinions of the organizers and may include mature themes.
The organizers reserve the right to change the program without notice.
$12 general admission – available to purchase online and at the box office
$7 seniors and students – available to purchase only at the box office
$7 children’s program – available to purchase only at the box office
$20 family ticket for children’s program (4 or more) – available to purchase only at the box office
Free admission – documentaries and short films
Free admission – for UM students with valid ID
For a special FAQ for our virtual screenings please visit:
https://michtheater.org/virtual-streaming-faq-aapff
For technical support please email boxoffice@michtheater.org
For questions about the program you can contact us via Chat with us on our website.
Virtual Program
Film Competition: Best Documentaries and Shorts
Best documentary and short narrative films selected in the Festival Film Competition are free of charge and available online through
the Michigan Theater website for the duration of the Festival,
Friday, November 5th, 7pm – Sunday, November 7th, 5pm.
Interviews with the Film Competition Winners
Interviews are free of charge and available online
through the Michigan Theater website for the duration of the Festival,
Friday, November 5th, 7pm – Sunday, November 7th, 5pm.
PLEASE NOTE
The Michigan Theater requires proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or results of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours for all moviegoers over the age of 12. Masks are required for all attendees.
In-Person Program
Michigan Theater, Screening Room
7:00 pm
Festival Opening
Opening of the 28th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival.
7:10 pm
TAK.BLISKO/CLOSE2U
dir. Marek Głuszczak, short narrative, 2019, 26 min.
Timid Franek finds a new job in an online company. His task is to play attractive call girls and fortune tellers. This is the last chance to pay off his rent to a selfish landlord, Bronek. One day Franek discovers a sad secret of his landlord.
Intermission
7:45 pm
Żeby nie było śladów/Leave No Traces
dir. Jan P. Matuszyński, drama, 2021, 160 min.
In 1983, communist Poland is shaken by the case of high school student Grzegorz Przemyk, who is beaten to death by police. The only witness of the beating becomes the number one enemy of the state.
The film received Silver Lion in the Main Competition of the 46th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia. It was selected to compete at the 78th Venice International Film Festival and is the Polish candidate for the Oscar.
Children's Program
10:00 am
Tarapaty 2/Triple Trouble
dir. Marta Karwowska, adventure, 2020, 87 min.
Another series of adventures of Julka and Olek. When Monet’s Beach in Pourville disappears from the National Museum in Poznań, the children face a task to find the painting, discover the identity of the thief and save an innocent painter accused of the theft. A harmonious duo begins an investigation, but suddenly a crazy 12-year-old Felka appears, and trouble comes with her.
11:30 am
Children’s Book Fair
Evening Program
6:00 pm
The Hero/The Hero
dir. Milena Dutkowska, short narrative, 2021, 24 min.
Cyprian, 10 years old orphan, raised by his beloved grandmother, dreams to become a real hero. Suddenly his grandmother dies and a threat of an orphanage hangs over Cyprian. Now he has to confront with the real loss and realize what it means to be a hero in the face of suffering.
Intermission
6:45 pm
Magnezja/Magnesium
dir. Maciej Bochniak, western, 2020, 120min.
A western inspired by the likes of Tarantino and Leone, set in the 1920s in the borderland between Poland and the USSR. Twin brothers plan to rob a rival family that is run by sisters.
Intermission
9:00 pm
Teściowie/The In-Laws
dir. Jakub Michalczuk, comedy, 2021, 81 min.
When the wedding is canceled at the last minute, the parents of the couple decide that the reception must go on anyway.
The film won the Audience Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival.
1:30 pm
Jeden dzień dłużej/One More Day
dir. Monika Meleń, documentary, 2021, 50min.
Małgorzata and Krystian are an exceptional couple in every sense. She was born with progressive muscular atrophy and he loves riding a motorcycle. But who says they cannot fulfil their dreams, especially when they do not have much time left? It is a film about mature love and everyday life with an incurable illness, a road movie and a personal travel diary at the same time.
Intermission
2:30 pm
Zupa nic/Back Then
dir. Kinga Dębska, comedy, 2021, 94 min.
Marta shares a room with her sister Kasia and their grandma who tells them stories from the Warsaw Uprising. Marta’s parents, Tadek and Elżbieta live in the adjacent room. He is an educated person, humiliated by the system, envious of his opulent brother-in-law. She is the leader of her workplace union, Solidarity, with a need for freedom and a dream to finally break out of Poland. However, for the whole family true emotions start once a dream orange Fiat 126p parks in front of their apartment building.
4:10 pm
Q&A
with director Kinga Dębska and producer Zbigniew Domagalski
6:00 pm
Closing Reception
by invitation only